Dr. Smith is happy to provide this website and its content as a learning tool. The content here is not to be replacement for a qualified optometrist. We cannot be held liable for any of the content here. Don't use this website as your only tool in your treatment plan.

Vision and Medical Insurance

Medical insurance and vision benefits plans can be extremely confusing!

At our office, we never want confusion or frustration to stand between you and top-quality eye care. We have created this section with a couple of valuable resources to help you better understand your healthcare coverage options, including recommendations and tips on how to maximize your eye care experiences. If you ever have any questions or concerns about your coverage or ability to receive care, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Our office is a provider for the following vision plans. If you do not see your plan listed below or have questions about your vision coverage, please contact us at 615-893-1913, and one of our staff will be more than happy to assist you.

Our clinic is a provider for the following medical insurance plans. If you do not see your plan listed below or have questions about your medical coverage, please contact us at 615-893-1913 and one of our staff will be more than happy to assist you.

Obviously, the choice to enroll in any type of insurance or benefit program is a personal decision. Because of potentially high healthcare costs, being a part of an insurance or benefit program can be helpful for the cost of care. Typically, medical insurance does not cover you for routine eye care (exams, glasses, contacts, etc.). Instead, medical insurance can cover eye-related diseases and problems such as infections. Vision insurance or benefits are designed to cover or assist with the routine parts of eye care not covered by medical insurance. It is important to understand that while there are many different eye-related problems that you can have, they are not all going to be covered under any one insurance policy or benefit plan. A hypothetical person who wears glasses for their myopia and suffers from diabetic retinopathy will need medical insurance for the diabetes related problems in their eyes and vision insurance or benefits for their eyeglasses. It can become very complex, very quickly! Talk to your eye doctor today if you have any questions or concerns regarding your coverage.

The medical insurance landscape is rapidly changing, so sometimes it can be difficult to keep up with all of your options. Usually, medical insurance is an insurance policy that you pay premiums for to use for the sole purpose of seeking medical care when needed. There are many medical insurance companies to choose from, and each company has their own network of doctors and standard services provided based on your eligibility. You can sign up for medical insurance individually, as a family or receive it as part of an employment package. Medical insurance can also be obtained through governmental programs such as Medicare or Medicaid.

Vision insurance is different than medical insurance in that it only entitles you to specific eye care services and benefits based on the policy you select. Typically, vision insurance covers the cost of a comprehensive eye exam on a pre-set annual schedule. It will also often provide discounts or set dollar amounts to be applied to the purchase of eyeglasses or contact lenses. Some vision insurance companies will also offer discounts towards refractive surgeries, such as LASIK.

Is your vision plan or medical insurance not on our provider lists above, and you still wish to receive your eye care from our clinic? We are more than happy to make duplicate copies of all of your statements and documents so that you can file for out-of-network reimbursements from your carrier. The choice of where to receive care is yours, and we will gladly help walk you through the process if you would like to visit our clinic out-of-network!